Barbadillo is one of the great sherry houses, a 7th-generation family-run business based in San Lucar, the home of Manzanilla.
The Barbadillo Pastora Manzanilla Pasada En Rama was the first Manzanilla ever to appear on the market in bottle, back in 1827 when Manzanilla was mostly sold in local wine bars by the glass, and to customers who bought in their own containers to be filled.
Pastora Manzanilla Pasada En Rama was resurrected by Barbadillo in 2015 to replicate the original sherry, and it is made in the traditional style, using a solera system, a process for ageing sherry by fractional blending to maintain a reliable style and quality.
This Manzanilla is special for two reasons:
- it is aged for an extra two years to give more complexity and depth; the standard Manzanilla is aged for six years, whereas this is eight years old (on average)
- it is bottled En Rama (meaning ‘raw’); this is, without fining or filtration so you are effectively tasting a barrel sample.
Barbadillo Pastora En Rama (£9-£14, half-bottle, Avery’s, Roberts & Speight, Fareham Wines, VINVM, Laithwaites, John Lewis, Harvey Nichols, Amazon) bright gold in colour; yeasty with a complex, salty floral tang; toasted hazelnuts, crisp green apple, salted butter and bitter herbs with chamomile tea; dense, mineral, concentrated and savoury. Fresh and energetic. Very elegant.
Very Good.
It positively demands food, such as roasted almonds, jamon, oilives and bread with olive oil. Also think smoked salmon canapés,
It also comes as a Barbadillo Pastora En Rama and Olives gift box from Laithwaites (£35) and Amazon (£28.90).
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